In SOI technology a thin silicon layer is formed over an insulating layer, such as silicon oxide, which in turn is formed over a substrate. This insulating layer is often referred to as a buried oxide (BOX) layer or simply as a BOX.
In current CMOS technology silicide contact resistance can be a significant performance limiting factor. With continued device pitch scaling the contact length of the CMOS transistors is reduced significantly thereby adversely impacting the contact resistance.